Day 14: One eyed bandit

WCC: 0.1

Hb: 79

Neut: 0.0

Platelets: 9

Weight: 70.1kg

Tuesday

Good night's sleep and woke again at 5.00am sharp! Not sure why I can't wake the same way at home!

This morning's joy was being unhooked from the IV line and having a shower 'unattached'. Although the PICC line is still wrapped up, there was a freedom that I could turn around in the shower and actually get dressed without help. Huge thank you to the nurse that actually thought ahead that I was going to be disconnected later (as the line was getting changed) and did it in time for the shower.

Feeling OK - just having problems with my left eye which just feels like there is a 'prickle' in it. I struggle to try and describe these things to the Dr's. A prickle makes perfect sense to me - it's ike something with little sharp prongs grabbing my eyeball. So it's a bit weepy, can't focus properly. Dr's have been in twice to have a look at it. Given I feel more mentally alert today I thought I would get some things done on the computer.

This proved a bit of a problem as I actually couldn't see clearly what I was writing. After battling with the email - trying to work out how to increase the view settings, I did some things, but it was a struggle. I now have one eye covered over to see if that helps, but have to admit my right eye is not fully compensating! Everything still a bit blurry.

A bag of platelets this morning to top me up and another bathroom run due to the lasec (? - pee tablet) although nothing as bad as it was yesterday.

Ate cheese and biscuits for lunch OK but then nil by mount from 1.00pm as I had to drink the prep for the CT scan - 2 satchets at 1.00pm in water and 1 at 2.00pm in water. At 3 they came to get me.

So - my question is, I have no neutrophils, I'm in a 'sealed' ward where flowers aren't allowed, but now I'm about to be wheeled through the corridors, use the general public lift etc - so I ask if I should be wearing a mask. Wardsman looks at me and says - 'It's up to you!' So, I thought, maybe I would err on the side of caution and say yes! It is just one of those very odd things that no on here seems to connect! And of course, once out of the ward I get wheeled past flowers, in the lift with the general public and in open areas with other sick patients.

CT scan done - and I know I am sharp enough still to have a go at the technicians and their treatment of my PICC line. I watched last night the careful, sterile process for the dressing to be replaced (2nd time) and again this morning as one of the little dongles on the end get replced when the fluid had finished). There is a process that each lumin gets wiped 3 times with 3 separate sterile swabs and then the flush is done. Down in CT lab - they just disconnect the fluid, and connect up what they need to inject into me - no sterile swabs etc. I was laying still with my eyes shut so it was done before I properly realised what had happened - but I thought, I'm not going to let them touch it again! So, they disconnected their line (no sterile swabs again) and I heard them say that upstairs can re-connect it. At least one of them said, we should probably flush it and they went to do it. I chimed in asking about the 3 sterile swabs protocol, and I am sure it was with the roll of their eyes, they went through the process. Then add onto that the line that I was to be connected back onto got dropped on the ground 3 times... I arrived back in the ward and promptly told my tale... They were not happy that the CT tetam had disconnected the line, but they threw out the fluid and did a complete and proper clean and flush of both lines...

Got back to curl up into bed and close my eyes to rest them.

Anth turned up for a visit, but headed off early when other visitor arrived (thank you) which gave him an opportunity to get back and get some work done as I know he had a bad day and had some catching up to do.

So. my eyes are getting even worse - and I can barely make out what I have typed tonight - so apologies for typos. I have even put on my glasses, but that doesn't seem to be helping. I do hope this eye thing is only short lived!